CARSON, Calif. – New LA Galaxy head coach Curt Onalfo is turning to a fellow Galaxy original to serve as the top assistant on his new coaching staff.
The Galaxy unveiled team’s new coaching staff on Wednesday announcing that Ante Razov, Rob Becerra, and Daniel Gonzalez will serve as Onalfo’s assistants replacing the group that departed with Bruce Arena to the U.S. National Team.
Razov, a teammate of Onalfo’s during the Galaxy’s inaugural season, joins the club after serving as an assistant with Seattle Sounders FC for the past two seasons. Becerra and Gonzalez, the team’s new goalkeeper coach, were members of LA Galaxy II’s coaching staff for the past three years.
After winning the 2016 MLS Cup with Seattle, Razov admits that returning to the club where he began his professional career back in 1996 simply made sense.
“This is a coming home with the Galaxy for me to work with Curt and work for a team that is the beacon in Major League Soccer,” Razov told LA Galaxy Insider. “I spent a lot of time away, but this club feels right to me. I’m excited to get down to work. … It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Galaxy right now. I’m really excited to be a part of this process.”
One of the most prolific strikers in Major League Soccer history, Razov scored 114 goals in 262 regular season appearances and is ranked fifth among all scorers. The new Galaxy boss also coached Razov during his time as an assistant with the U.S. National Team.
Before serving on the Sounders’ staff of Sigi Schmid and later Brian Schmetzer, Razov served as the Galaxy Under-14’s head coach. According to Onalfo, the hiring of one of the league’s most prolific scorers can only boost a team known for their attacking verve.
“Ante is one of our league’s best goal scorers. He’s got a great mind for the game and just recently won a championship with good experience within the league,” Onalfo said. “We feel like he’ll be a great asset and he’ll be able to give some great insight and nuisance to our attacking players.
With the club moving into a new era after the departure of Arena, Onalfo believes that having another Galaxy original with deep ties to the club on the staff will help the team build an identitiy heading into the 2017 campaign.
“It is the evolution of how things are going with this club. It makes you feel proud and makes you understand the importance of it,” Onalfo said. “We know what the club is all about and we know about the winning tradition is all about and our goals is to continue those. We want to create some great memories that we can create for our fans and our community.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog atLAGalaxy.com/insiderand contact him atLAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
